SEPT I© 
684 
■ 
Ctrmjwljm. 
Dakota Territory. 
A FARMER’S TRIP TO DAKOTA. 
After reading and hearing much said 
about the wonderful land and climate of Da¬ 
kota, 1 concluded last spring, after getting 
my corn planted, to take a short trip out 
there. I left my home in Albany Couuty, 
N. Y., May 20. 1 speuta few days in Chica¬ 
go, then bought a 1,000-mile ticket and started 
out on the Chicago & North-western Railroad, 
which took me through Wisconsin and Min¬ 
nesota and into South-eastern Dakota. I went 
through the counties of Brookings, Hamlin 
and Codington, to Watertown; then west, to 
Clark Center, the couuty seat of Clark Couu¬ 
ty, aud fiuding that a very enterprising, 
business-like place, and a fine rolling prairie 
of extra good laud surrounding the town, I 
concluded to stop over and investigate that 
part of the country. After making many in¬ 
quiries I took the stage to Willow Lake, lo¬ 
cated in the Southern part, of the county. 
There 1 found still better land, with rich, 
deep, black loam, and a beautiful little lake 
covering about(500 acres, with high, dry banks; 
some stone and good building sand along 
the shores. I was informed that there was an 
abuudauce of game, ducks, geese and other 
water-fowls that frequent these lakes during 
the fall and early spring. The land around 
there is a gently rolling prairie; almost every 
acre can be plowed, uo slews or creeks to inter¬ 
fere. The county is new. having been taken 
up only five years. It is now well settled with 
wide-awake Americans, mostly from Illinois, 
Wisconsin, New York aud New England, 
people who seem to he at home there. A 
good portion of the laud is already under cul¬ 
tivation. The wheat, barley and oats, were 
waving in the breeze. Corn was up nicely. 
Three and four-horse teams were turning 
over the prairie sod as far as the eye could 
see in every direction. 
Some were sowing fiax on the freshly- 
plowed sod after cutting it up a little with a 
Disc harrow. The stubble ground is plowed 
with riding gang plows cutting, two furrows 
at a time. A boy can ride and drive a 
team plowing five acres per day, aud with a 
20-foot harrow, cau harrow 40 acres per day. 
The climate was cool and invigorating,.with 
dry, clear atmosphere. There is so little sick¬ 
ness that doctors have to make extravagdht 
charges wheu called upon, iu o'-der to make a 
living. Poor place for physicians Hnd under¬ 
takers. Most farmers there hire their young 
stock herded at 81 50 per head for the season. 
Pences are few and far between. Horses and 
cows kept for use are picketed on the prairie 
with 50 or 00 feet of rope attached to their 
forefeet, the other end being attached to an 
iron pin driven in the ground. Any amount 
of grass can be hired cut aud stacked at 81 50 
to ?2 per ton. Good water can bo found 
almost anywhere by digging from 10 to 20 
feet. The settlers have taken up the land un¬ 
der the Homestead, Pre-emption and Tree- 
claims laws. Many of them have gone there 
without any capital and have undertaken 
more than they can manage. They huve gone 
into debt for stock and farming implements, 
for which they have had to chattel-mortgage 
at ruinous rates of interest, and are now 
obliged to sell a portiou of tbeir land or “re¬ 
linquishments” at almost any price, iu order 
to save their stock and farming machinery 
from being taken or sold under chattel mort¬ 
gages. M. w. p. 
Minnesota. 
The “Twin Cities" of the Northwest; Minne¬ 
sota “Agricultural College” with a corps 
of Professors but no students; snobbish dis¬ 
dainoj the lit era rg faculty; “tree agents 
Lake Minnetonka; a visit to Peter M. 
Gideon; his pooailogic.nl labors; abandon¬ 
ment of the State experimental orchard. 
Carver, Carver Co,, August 23. — We 
reached St. Paul aud Minneapolis Aug. 18. 
These “ Twin Cities,” although so-called, are 
none the less jealous rivals, and their ambition 
to excel each other seems even to have ex¬ 
cited them to broader undertakings and greater 
expenditures for the mere purpose of excel¬ 
ling. So rapid has been tbeir growth and so 
high their anticipations, that nearly the en¬ 
tire six or seven miles of intervening territory 
are being laid out into city lots, much of it 
graded, the streets opened for travel, and the 
lots held, and many of them sold, at what 
may fairly be deemed fabulous prices. 
The extensive grounds of the Minnesota 
State Agricultural Society are included iu 
this intervening territory, us is also the State 
College Farm, which is yet mainly unim¬ 
proved, and which has now become so far 
eligible for city purposes that the proposition 
is said to be under consideration to convert it 
also into city lots. The Agricultural Col¬ 
lege of Minnesota is made an appendage of 
the State University, and is being managed 
rather ns an experimental station than as an 
educational institution—it having no students 
although provided with a corps of Professors. 
A hasty visit to the grounds showed a small 
vineyard, a few acres planted with nursery 
stock, apparently for experimental purposes, 
together with several plots devoted to garden 
and field vegetables, the whole being under 
the control of the regents of the State Uni¬ 
versity, and under the immediate supervision 
of a Professor of that institution. 
It would seem probable that the lack of ag¬ 
ricultural students may be fairly attributed 
to the tendency of students, and possibly oven 
of the faculty iu the strictly literary depart¬ 
ments, to hold themselves above and aloof 
from those iu agricultural departments, as 
well as to the unwillingness of young persons 
to place themselves iu such humiliating posi¬ 
tions of subordination. 
There is understood to be a disposition, 
among many of the friends of the Agricultural 
College, that it should be divorced from this 
connection and established upon a strictly in¬ 
dependent basis. 
Minnesota seems by no means to be exempt 
from the operations of the ubiquitous charac¬ 
ters known as “tree agents,” and their opera¬ 
tions here have proved so objectionable that 
the State Horticultural Society last winter 
framed a bill, which the Legislature enacted 
into a law, requiring persons vending trees in 
the State to enter iuto bonds conditioned for 
tbe payment of damages in case their stock 
should not be found to fulfill their representa¬ 
tions. At the Nurserymen’s Convention at 
Chicago in June last an effort is said to have 
been made to secure action unfriendly to such 
law, but without the hoped for result. Still 
it seems improbable that these very persistent 
gentry will fail to make the effort, through 
the courts or otherwise, to cause it to be set 
aside. 
Our entrance into the city of Minneapolis 
was over the railroad bridge which spans tbo 
“Father of Waters,” at what, in our school¬ 
boy days was the remote and little known 
Falls of St. Anthony ; but, between the recent 
drought and depletions l>y manufacturing es¬ 
tablishments, it proves but a tame realization 
of either our early fancies or of more modern 
representations. 
Our next objective point was Lake Minne¬ 
tonka, which has, withiu a few years, become 
a noted summer resort, attracting not merely 
the residents of the neighboring cities of St. 
Paul and Minneapolis, but a great many peo¬ 
ple from the South and East. Two or three 
linos of railway connect it with the above 
named cities; four or five very large hotels 
and several steamers on the lake minister to 
the demands of resorters, while numerous 
smaller cruft afford facilities for fishing and 
huuting. 
Our object, however, was to call on the 
widely known pioneer horticulturist, Peter 
M. Gideon, who located hero more than 80 
years since, aud has inaugurated the work 
which has rendered his name a household 
word aiming the pomologists of the North¬ 
west. Commencing the planting of fruit in a 
region aud climate which afforded no pre¬ 
vious experience to guide him, his earlier 
efforts were rendered nearly nugatory, not 
merely by the severity of the climate, but 
also by the unlooked for prevalence and 
severity of blight, which literally swept away 
his earlier plantations. 
Defeated but not discouraged, and guided 
by this experience, he, almost singly, entered 
upon the arduous task of creating a | omology 
for this, his chosen region. For 80 years ho 
has persevered iu the process of originating 
varieties from t he seed. Finding his trial of 
the imported Russian apples not entirely sat¬ 
isfactory on uecount of tbeir apparent lia¬ 
bility to blight, he has more recently turned 
his attention to the crabs; ns In his estimation 
superior in hardiness, and less liable to the 
blight during the heat of summer—a disease 
which in this far northern region appears to 
be quite as fatal to the apple as it is to the 
pear iu more southern regions, if not, in fact, 
considerably more so. 
Mr. Gideon, after fruiting a batch of seed¬ 
lings, selects seeds from the best of them, 
which are planted aud fruited. From these, 
iu turn, tbe most promising are selected, 
aud the same process is repeated. As already 
stated, this continuous reproduction has now 
been pursued for more than SO years, and he 
finds the process becoming more effective 
with each succeeding reproduction, the varia¬ 
tions greater and the desirable varieties more 
frequent. 
Varieties are also found to vary greatly in 
their liability to their attacks of blight; hence, 
Mr. G-is accustomed to keep this fact iu 
mind, iu his selections of seeds for planting. 
Occasionally one of these crab seedliugs is 
found to vary widely from the type, producing 
fruit of largo size, with short stem, and even 
affording a near approach to the quality and 
flavor of Pyrus mains—our more common 
American apple. Several of these, such as 
Wealthy, Gideon, Peter and perhaps others, 
have already been somewhat widely dissem¬ 
inated, especially in the Nf rthwesf. 
Some yeai’s since, the State of Minnesota 
purchased a tract of laud, near Mr. G’s 
place, to bo devoted to this purpose, and 
placed it in his charge, allowing him a small 
salary in consideration of his services. This 
arrangement was continued for several years, 
aud a very considerable experimental orchard 
was planted and brought into bearing. Owing, 
as I understand, to some of Mr. G’s pecu¬ 
liarities, and very possibly also to the ambi¬ 
tion of others, the arrangement has been dis¬ 
continued, and the orchard left without 
supervision, so that it is already far on the 
way to ultimate ruin; but my space is already 
exceeded, and the subject must therefore be 
deferred for the present. t. t. I.yon. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canailn. 
Chatham, Ontario, Aug 2(5.—We had a re¬ 
markably dry spring aud summer, but lots of 
rain lately. I think the drought is caused by 
neglect to plant out more trees to replace, in 
part, the natural crop of timber that is being 
rapidly cut. Most of the crops are lees than 
usual. The principal shortage is in potatoes, 
beans, and hay. A much larger acreage than 
the average was planted. The practical 
science or rather art of farming is very fast 
improving here. Fruit-growing is rapidly in¬ 
creasing, and is now much the most profitable 
branch of our agriculture. The small fruits 
were very good; cherries almost a complete 
failure. Peaches and pears ate excellent. 
Anples very nice, clear of spot, not very 
large, and a smaller crop than last year, but 
probably as good as an average, as we had an 
extra heavy crop iu 1 ssu. We are getting 
discouraged with the prices of cattle, so that 
horses aud hogs are our leading live stock. 
Most of our hogs are now butchered before 
they are very fat, iu warm weather, iu large 
factories. All kinds of timber and wood are 
rapidly rising iu price, so the waste of timber 
is almost entirely stopped. F. w. w. 
On kola. 
Alexandria, Hauson Co., Aug. 17.—Very- 
abundant rains during the last mouth arc 
helping the late hay and potatoes and flax. 
Early potatoes that were ripe before the rain 
are showing signs of rot. The land has not 
been in as good condition for plowing since I 
came here. t. h. y. 
Kansas. 
Douglas, Butler Co., Aug. 21.—Wheat al¬ 
most a failure; only about 1<> per cent, worth 
cutting. Oats n total failure in this immedi¬ 
ate vicinity. Along the Arkansas River, 
about 15 miles west, a fair crop is reported. 
My oats lay in the ground from March 14th 
until April 23d when they began to appear 
nicely, and being so dry and late the chinch 
bugs never let them get a Start. Corn will 
average about 15 bushels per aero; burnt by 
hot winds. Tame grass none: prairie grass 
fairly cured where not killed. No good rains 
since the last week in June. Sub-soil not wet 
for two years. Dry 30 l’eet deep. c. l. a. 
Hutchinson, ltouo Co., Aug. 20.—We are 
having good rains now, which will help the 
late corn. Corn is about half a crop. Wheat 
went about five bushels per acre. Oats about 
20. Potatoes fair, hay a fair crop. There 
will be but little wheat sown, on account of 
chinch bugs. Stock is doing well. 
W. E, G. 
Nebranka. 
Brokenrow, Custer Co., August 28.—Wo 
have had light rains since July IS. Corn good 
on old ground; light on new. Wheat averag¬ 
ing 15 bushels per acre. Oats about 30; pota¬ 
toes will be a light crop. Vegetables light on 
account of dry weather. Very little of other 
grains raised. J. o. 
Ohio. 
Oxford, Butler Co., Aug. 11. — Mercury 
100 degrees yesterday; to-day begins the 10th 
week of our drought—not more than one 
inch of rain in all that time. w. F. u. 
Peiinnyl’anln. 
Meadvillk, Crawford Co., August 24.— 
The Pond corn received in the Rural's free 
seed distribution, I planted May 10 on a some¬ 
what gravelly soil, and in just 87 days it was 
fully matured, the ears being nicely filled out 
with large, plump grains. Other varieties, 
planted on the same kind of soil and ut the 
same time ripened about 12 to 14 days later. 
I am highly pleased with the corn, and believe 
it will be welcomed by the farmers in this 
part of the country, on account of the danger 
of late corn being frosted. f. m. n. 
Washington Territory, 
Pomeroy, Garfield Co., Aug. 23.—The Ru¬ 
ral corn was planted about Muy 15, and is 
now ripe enough to out and shock; suckers 
badly; not the corn we want, as we have corn 
that is much better field corn and as early as 
that from the Rural. Oue of these 
kinds is a small yellow dent, resembling the 
Capital corn. Another is a white and blue 
dent, a little larger than the yellow. The 
third is a clear white dent, still larger than 
either, and quite as early. The sweet corn is 
the earliest of its kind, a splendid addition to 
our garden crop. The beans from some cause 
are tough aud woody in the hull; possibly this 
is owing to the hot, dry weather. The Gar¬ 
den Treasures were a treat for the girls. All 
dried up now. and gone. The Diehl-Mediter¬ 
ranean wheat is a liue variety, but I think it 
is not adapted to our windy climate and mode 
of harvesting (with headers mostly) as it is 
easily shattered. The Thousand-fold rye 
pleases me very much; will give it a thorough 
test next year. It lias only one fault—it ap¬ 
pears to be mixed part white and part black 
We sampled first ripe muskmelon from the 
Ritual seed to-day. It is perfectly splendid . 
A. H. H. 
Wisconsin. 
Neinah, Winnebago Co., August 21. —We 
have had another dry season which has been 
worse than that of last year; we did not have 
any rain to speak of till the middle of this 
month. We now have enough to make good 
plowing. Crops are (is follows; spring wheat, 
not any worth thrashing; winter wheat good, 
yield from 20 to 25 bushels per acre. Rye 25 to 
80 bushels per acre. Oats light; badly hurt by 
grasshoppers. Corn the poorest crop that has 
ever been raised in this part of the country. 
Hay about oue-fourth of a crop. Potatoes a 
very poor crop. f. w. 
ROTATION OF CROPS. 
AN IMPORTANT BULLETIN FROM PROF. J. W. 
SANBORN, OF TOE MISSOURI AO. COLLEGE. 
Inauguration of a system of four years' ro¬ 
tation under hard conditions; good re¬ 
sults; philosophy of rotation; experiment 
in rotation; results , 
Science teaches, ami practice for ages has 
confirmed, the economic value of rotation of 
crops. To- measure in dollars the standard 
gauge of the value of methods in farming, the 
value of rotation of crops in practice, a four 
years’ rotation was laid out five years ago, or 
the month Prof. Sanborn took charge of the 
farm. At the same time, after careful view 
of the soil, climate and markets of Missouri, 
the whole farm was cut loose from its old 
methods, and a course of farming entered 
upon totally and radically different from that 
pursued by the fanners of the State. The 
methods adopted aud freely presented through 
public lectures and public writings to 
the State, have met with more or les-s 
criticism, sometimes ridicule as an 
exotic growth, and chimerical, when viewed 
from the standpoint of practical farmers. 
The system of farming thus inaugurated was 
not. transplanted, but was organized upon the 
applied sciences, modified by local economic 
demands, to fit the demands of the farmers, 
and was intended to he wholly within their 
reach, and, furthermore, was believed to be 
calculated to fit precisely tlteir demands, and 
to be a future uid to them. The course of 
funning then entered upon had a value, to 
fanners of moderate menus as well as to others, 
unusual to a public farm for economic tests, 
in that the college farm was without good tools, 
wns insufficiently stocked; its fields and pas¬ 
tures were in a bad condition for farming, 
stumps, bushes and poor fences abounding n 
the fields and pastures, and it. had no capital, 
nor the power to borrow capital. Thus about 
the hardest conditions possible were to lie 
overcome for success. One other drawback 
was possible—an era of low and falling prices. 
Agriculture has seldom had a worse period. 
The farm has received uo money for four 
years; has expended from its own revenue, 
for the public, iu round numbers, 82,000 for 
experiment work, and more than this for im¬ 
provements, aud has doubled its crop capaci¬ 
ty. Its wheat this year was 771 bushels from 
17 acres, or 45'7 bushels per acre. Its hay is 
about or quite three tons per acre, while at 
this date its unharvested crops are heavy. 
Professor Sanborn trusts that he will not be 
misunderstood us either retorting or being 
boastful. Au extensive experiment, revolu 
tionary of Western farm practices, and based 
upon science applied to agriculture, has been 
under trial and under public challenge, and 
in the interest of the public, and of the col¬ 
lege, he speaks directly aud plainly. But this 
